Workers protest unfair treatment

JAKARTA: More than a dozen workers of sidewalk car body repair shops almost clashed with the city's public order officers on Wednesday following a raid on Jl. Kramat Raya in Central Jakarta, near Atrium Senen shopping center.

At 9 a.m., three carloads of public order officers and police officers, came to take down the signboards which were put on the roadside and thus hampered passing motorists. They also seized some tools.

The raid almost turned violent when an officer slapped a resisting worker in the face.

"We were still in shock over the raid. We were not strong enough to fight against them," said Solichin, a car painter.

He grumbled that the officers were not fair as they only raided their place leaving other sidewalk car body painters along the street untouched. --JP